Niagara Region faces an impossible decision over its upcoming budget and the cost of policing.

Over the summer Niagara Falls regional Coun. Bob Gale persuaded his compatriots to set the Region’s consolidated budget hike at a max of 3.5 per cent after years of large increases.

The Region’s tax increases over the past three years have been 9.6 per cent, 7.02 per cent and 7.5 per cent.

Board signs off on $237M Niagara Regional Police budget for 2026 — up 11.5% from this year

“It’s a dollar amount that I think the majority of people can live with,” said Port Colborne’s

Gale argued the limit was needed because Niagara is “confronted with unprecedented economic and financial challenges.” True.

Policing constitutes the single largest item in the Region’s budget levy, somewhere above 30 per

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